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| Chung Hyun-sook |
By Kim Bo-eun
The most essential quality required of children in the era of the fourth industrial revolution is resilience, according to a producer who has created content for children for over 30 years.
"Resilience _ the ability to ride the wave of change _ is the most important skill and capacity in the future because technology-driven societies and economies are changing so fast and unpredictably," Chung Hyun-sook, senior executive producer at Educational Broadcasting System (EBS), said.
This is what Chung's latest documentary "In the name of love: parents and children in the 21st century" outlines. The documentary aired last month.
Chung created the documentary with broadcasters of five other countries _ Germany, Mongolia, Vietnam, Singapore and India.
Although the producer was cautious to generalize, she said there were subtle differences between the families of different countries she met.
"For example, parents in Asian countries tend to have a more competitive attitude toward education, to be more strict about discipline and to be more concerned about keeping up with social expectations," she said.
"But all parents want their kids to be happy _ the question is what parents can do to best equip their children for an uncertain future."
The producer said parents should try to be less anxious and controlling _ letting their children learn for themselves.
"Learning by trial and error is necessary to learn how to handle the changes and practical business of life."
This is especially so because the era of the fourth industrial revolution may no longer need specialists focusing on a single area, Chung said.
"It may be better for our kids to grow up to be generalists, coordinators or communicators, who can adapt and change and know how to mediate or negotiate."
Although Chung does not have children of her own, she said she feels like a mother and teacher to the many children she has met in Korea and in Asia in the course of making content for them.
Chung started her career as a producer when she joined EBS in 1987. She has been active in the field of international educational media for over 15 years. She has mainly created children's programs and documentaries.
Chung won the Japan Foundation President Prize, a renowned international contest for educational media, for producing an Asian children's documentary aired in December 2016.
The producer said she will continue to work on developing content for children and families in cooperation with Asian partners.
"Two thirds of the world's population is in Asia and an even higher percentage of the world's children are in Asia," she said.
"Asia is a young continent _ so I am naturally concerned about children's needs to have diverse content that's relevant to them."
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